Chapter Ten
It was as if things were in slow motion before everything around them stopped. Out of the corner of her eye she had seen Bianca enter, and before she knew it she saw Bianca starting to fall. Now holding her safely in her arms Reese couldn't let go. Softly she asked if Bianca was okay, while absorbing the feeling of the warm body pressed against hers and letting herself sink into the deep brown eyes holding her own. To Reese there was nothing or nobody around them, it was only her and Bianca. Time had stopped. As she raised her hand to smooth the soft hair out of Bianca's face, her fingers trembled and she watched as Bianca's eyes closed momentarily at the contact. Letting her fingers trail over the ivory skin of Bianca's cheek, Reese felt the arms that had wrapped themselves around her tighten in response as Bianca drew a shaky breath. Her whisper was so soft, the one word so sultry it caused tremors throughout the blonde. "Reese."
"That's Gabrielle's mommy over there with Mommy. I want to go say hi." Miranda had seen Reese and was now squirming her way out of Erica's grasp and on her way over to where the two women stood, still holding each other. "They make a stunning pair don't they?" Erica was startled by the voice behind her. "I know there are complications, and I know they don't know each other very well, but I think it is safe to say that they belong together, don't you." Zach had been watching Erica, he had seen the small smile on her face as she watched her daughter with Reese. He knew she could see it, hell everyone in the room could see it, it was undeniable. As Erica continued to maintain her focus on Bianca and Reese, she laughed as she saw Miranda tugging at Reese's shirt, finally breaking the spell. Then when she saw the looks of embarrassment and shame cover both Bianca and Reese's faces as they stepped away from each other, she felt her heart break. "Well Zach, I understand that there has been a mistake made, that you will require your own suite here. As for what I see, yes, you are right. They do belong together, but I think it is going to take more than us feeling that way to prove that to them." Turning to face him she continued, "Unless you have something in mind, something that won't end up hurting anyone involved." Zach laughed lightly as he looked back to Reese who was now bending down and talking to Miranda. Holding his arm out to Erica and wrapping her hand through it, "Well Erica, how about you let me buy you a drink and we can talk in that suite you are going to set me up with?" Glancing once more at her daughter who was absorbed in the conversation between Reese and Miranda, Erica allowed Zach to lead her away.
"Mommy makes good dinners, and you said you had to work awhile longer, so you will be hungry when you are done. You and Gabrielle can come eat with us. So is that okay with you? " She hadn't even asked her mother, she was so excited at the thought of seeing Gabrielle again, and Reese didn't know what to say. Looking up at Bianca she saw a slight nod from the brunette before she turned back to Miranda. "Well, it sounds wonderful to me, but instead of having your mommy cook, why don't you let Gabby and I bring dinner with us, that way we can all relax. What is your favorite Miss Miranda?" Miranda finally looked up at Bianca, "Is it okay Mommy, can Reese and Gabby bring me my favorite?" Bianca couldn't say no to the eyes so much like her own looking up at her, "Yes sweetheart they can." Miranda began laughing as she wrapped her arms around Reese's neck holding her tightly and whispering in her ear, "Pizza, cheese pizza please." Reese couldn't stop herself from laughing as she returned the hug, a warm feeling filling her soul. "Okay, then." She whispered back, "Cheese pizza it is." Taking in the sweet smell of apples from Miranda's hair, Reese knew she was already taken by this little girl, much she had been the first time she held Gabrielle. Bianca was watching the scene before her, feeling her eyes start to mist over. She had to be careful, she couldn't let Miranda get too close to Reese, even though it felt right watching the two of them. "Hey Miranda, we should go now. We have to let Reese get back to work or she won't be able to come to dinner tonight." When Miranda finally let go of Reese and allowed her to stand back up, Bianca looked at her, "Would you like to bring Zach with you tonight? He is more than welcome." She hated saying the words, but she knew it was the appropriate thing to do. "No Bianca, Zach will not be coming with me." Reese saw the relief wash over the brunette even though Bianca tried to hide it. "I would like it to be just the four of us Bianca, I can leave here in a couple hours, unless that is too soon?" Bianca shook her head as Reese's words sunk in, they were going to have dinner together. She would be spending her evening with Reese. "No, that sounds fine. Here let me give you directions and my cell incase you need it." Reese took the information before watching Bianca and Miranda walk away in search of Erica.
Erica and Zach had been sitting in his suite talking when her phone rang. "Yes, Bianca I am still here, I am just with a guest. I will be down shortly." Placing her phone back into her purse she turned back to Zach. "Do you really think this will work? Bianca can be very stubborn, and she won't want to hurt Cassie." Zach looked at Erica with nothing but sincerity in his eyes, "Erica, Reese is going to fight this, for Cassie, but only for so long. She is already breaking, and I can tell you she won't lie to Bianca, let her be the one to tell Bianca that there is nothing between us. All they need is the time and place to be together so that they can talk privately. Once that happens, I can't see anything standing in the way. I will hate to see Cassie get hurt, but for the three of their sakes, this needs to happen. If you can arrange it, I will make sure Reese is there." Erica stood to leave, "Okay Zach, well I can defiantly set that up, I will call you when I have details." Neither one could have possibly guessed that little Miranda had beat them to it, and that Bianca and Reese were going to get the time to talk tonight.
Once Bianca left the Casino she headed straight for home, happy that Miranda hadn't said anything about Reese coming to dinner, she didn't need the questions from her mother. When she got home she immediately sent Miranda up to her room to clean up a bit while she started tiding up the living room, she couldn't believe how nervous she was and at the same time excited. She thought about Reese catching her earlier, her body came to life just thinking about Reese touching her cheek. She was so lost in her thoughts that she didn't hear the doorbell ringing until Miranda came running downstairs yelling for her to open the door. When she opened the door there stood Reese, she had changed and was now wearing light jeans with a black top that opened into a V at the neck. She was holding Gabby in her carrier in one hand and in the other a pizza box. "Hi, I hope I'm not too early." Bianca was quick to take the pizza box as she told Reese to come in. "No, not at all. Miranda has waiting for you." Both women looked down at Miranda to see the little girl already playing with Gabrielle's hands, not taking her eyes off the baby. Laughing Reese answered softly, "I don't think she has been waiting so much for me as she has been waiting for Gabby here.", but as the last words left her mouth she felt two little arms wrap around her legs. "Thank you Reese, thank you for coming. Thank you for bringing dinner and for bringing Gabby." Once again Reese found herself bending down to get level with Miranda, "Well thank you for inviting us," allowing her eyes to travel up to Bianca's, "We wouldn't want to be anywhere else tonight." Bianca felt the words deep inside her, and knew Reese was speaking the truth. "Well, what do you think? Are you ready to eat or do you want to play for awhile Miranda?" Miranda looked from Reese to her mother before answering, "Mommy if it is okay, I would like to play with Gabby for a little while." Reese stood up hearing Miranda's answer, "I brought her pack-n-play just incase, I'll go get it." Bianca watched as Reese hurried back to her car, feeling a tug on her pants. "What is it sweetie?" Miranda was watching Reese just like Bianca was, "I like her Mommy, I really like Reese." As Reese walked back towards the house Bianca answered quietly, "Me too Miranda, me too."
Once Reese had set up Gabby's playpen she realized that she probably didn't need it, looking at Miranda as she leaned over the baby in her carrier. Opting to pull out a blanket instead she spread it out over the floor and placed Gabby on it. Miranda loved the idea and was laying down with Gabby within seconds, telling Gabby stories while she held her hand. Reese stood up but not before taking a mental picture of the two together. Suddenly she was nervous as she looked at Bianca who was sitting on the couch, deciding to push her nerves away she sat down next to the brunette. They sat there together in silence watching Miranda and Gabby for a few minutes before Bianca spoke. "Thank you, for today, for catching me." Bianca looked at Reese was stunned to see that Reese was blushing. "Why are you blushing?" Reese averted her eyes for a moment looking at the girls before back at Bianca, "I didn't know what I was doing, I saw you start to fall and I couldn't let that happen. I don't know how I got there in time. It was luck, you don't need to thank me." As they looked at each other Bianca knew that she was going to be lost if she didn't say something. "Reese, tell me about you and Zach? I mean, you kissed me last night, and I know you are feeling what I am, but you are with Zach, a man?" Reese didn't look away this time, instead her hand raised itself and she allowed her fingers to run through the silky hair, they longed to touch while maintaining eye contact with Bianca.
"Bianca, I am not with Zach. Everyone just assumed it when he got to the hospital, I let them, I should have spoken up, but I didn't. Zach is one of my best friends, he has been for years. Gabrielle, Cassie, and Zach they are all I have. You though, you are with Cassie, my cousin. She is the closet thing I have to a sister, I would give my life for her Bianca, and yet here I am. Wanting to be here with you, wanting to hold you close, wanting to know everything about you. I wanted to kiss you last night Bianca, I didn't want to stop, I want to kiss you now." Bianca was listening to every soft word, letting her heart open up to Reese as Reese opened up to her, feeling her skin tingle as Reese continued to run her fingers through her hair. Glancing over at Miranda and Gabby, she saw that they were both sleeping, Miranda's arm wrapped around Gabby, their heads close together. As she turned her head back to Reese, she couldn't control her actions. Raising her hands to Reese's face she pulled the blonde into her, their lips coming together softly at first. She felt Reese as their bodies shifted to be closer to one another. It was Reese this time who stroked Bianca's lip with her tongue immediately she was met by Bianca's as both women moaned at the pleasure that was rushing through them. Bianca felt as if she had never really been kissed before, her heart was taking on wings as their tongues explored the contours of each others mouth. Reese was trembling, unable to contain the emotions she was experiencing, every nerve of her body was feeling this kiss as it deepened and Bianca pulled her closer. Slowly pulling away from each other, Bianca couldn't help but place a few kisses along Reese's neck until she felt the pulse point racing beneath her lips. "Ohh Bianca, please."
When Bianca pulled back the women looked once again into each eyes, both filled with desire and need, as well as sadness in Reese's. "Reese, what is it? Did I do something wrong?" Reese shook her head and looked away, tears starting to gather in her eyes. "No Bianca, you didn't do anything wrong, actually I have never felt anything so right before but, we have to stop Bianca, I don't want to, please know that. I just can't, we can talk and be here together, but while you are with Cassie, I just can't, as badly as I want this, want you. I want to spend every minute continuing to fall in love with you Bianca Montgomery, but I have to think about Cassie. I can't do that to her, and I know you can't either." Bianca hung her head at Reese's words, "Your right, I was going to talk to her today, but I just couldn't do it. Reese I want you to know, I do care about Cassie, but not the way I feel about you. I want to be with you, I want to know everything about you. Can we just spend the night talking about our lives? I don't want this to end just yet." Leaning into Bianca, Reese allowed her lips to caress Bianca's once again before pulling back so that they were only inches from one another, "I have no intention of letting this end, and I would love nothing more than to sit here and hold you while we talk throughout the night." As they held each other both began talking softly about their lives, Reese had leaned back into Bianca's arms, the hours passing by, the pizza forgotten about, as four souls came to rest where they belonged.
Kendall left the hospital in a fury, she had sat there for hours watching Cassie as she tried to call both Bianca and Reese repeatedly, getting no answer on either phone. She had listened to Cassie talk about the tension between Bianca and Reese earlier that morning, she had sat there while Cassie cried over the broken promise Bianca had made to her about coming back and talking. She listened as Cassie went on and on about how Reese would never hurt her, how she was her best friend, she would always be there for Cassie. Kendall's anger had been brewing all along, but she held it in as she tried to keep Cassie calm and reassure her that it wasn't what she thought, that there must be something else going on. Now that she was on her way to Bianca's though she thought about the night before, the looks between her sister and Reese, Cassie's obvious pain both physically and emotionally, and she let her anger start to seep out. When she pulled into Bianca's driveway and saw the strange car, she slammed her car door before making her way up the driveway to confront her sister, and the woman who Cassie couldn't imagine would ever hurt her, her cousin, Reese.